Last week, on August 12, Nashville International Airport became the first in Tennessee and thirty-fifth in the nation to debut 'Clear' biometric identity scanners, providing passengers with an expedited, touchless security screening option. The Clear kiosks utilize iris or fingerprint scans to verify users' identities and flight information.
Instead of waiting in line to present an identification card and boarding documents, customers can go to a Clear kiosk, which slightly resembles like an old-school payphone, and gaze briefly into the scanner or apply their fingerprint for recognition. It will then display the person's name and photo as they're cleared to pass through the checkpoint.
"It's like the James Bond movies," said airport CEO Doug Kreulen. "As we get through the pandemic, everything's going to touchless so we don't have to exchange maybe contaminated documents. Clear is one of those options that people have. It's a neat option."
During the Wednesday launch, most passengers were utilizing the eye scan option to avoid contacting high-touch points prior to boarding their flights.
Customers pay $179 a year for the privilege of accessing the Clear option and speeding through airport security, rather than waiting in traditional queues. Frequent Delta and United Airlines flyers can take advantage of discounts the carriers offer on the service, reported USA Today.
At Nashville International, Clear registration kiosks have been installed at the new north wing of the airport, and company ambassadors are on hand to help customers complete the application process.
The touchless option now has a whole new appeal in light of COVID-19 precautions and may help travelers to feel safer traversing the airport amid the pandemic. While Nashville International had seen all-time high passenger volumes in February, just prior to the outbreak, airport traffic is down around 60 percent compared with the same period in 2019.
"Imagine when this airport is jammed full of people and you can just skip the line," said Clear Director of Operations Jeremy Langton. "We focus on expediting passengers and making this part of the process touchless."
"Touchless travel is really the future," said Mitch Nadler, Clear's vice president of airport affairs. "Security and trust are paramount for us. We've built a brand over the past ten years that customers trust. We do not sell or share customer data, and we received the highest levels of certification in security that we can achieve."
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